Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner will go before the City Council on Tuesday evening to lay out his vision for meeting the community's evolving expectations for law enforcement, a plan that could require more officers and more funding over the next five years.

As part of an update of his department's master plan, Beckner is expected to outline proposals to hire additional officers and staff, refine Boulder's "community policing" approach and establish a funding plan for things such as replacing vehicles and technology, as well as renovating the city's Public Safety Building.

The hour-long study-session presentation is intended to give councilmembers a chance to recommend revisions to the plan before it comes back before the City Council for a public hearing in July in hopes that a final version will be ready for review and approval in August.

The plan is conceptual in nature, and the actual price tag won't emerge until the city's budget process gets under way later this year.

Beckner said the meeting is important as a way of helping the department determine what Boulder police service will be expected to look like in the near future.

"Do we want to continue to operate the way have been? Do we want to make some changes?" he asked. "I think that is the most important question."

Beckner last went before the City Council on April 30 to deliver an update on police staffing levels. He noted at that meeting that calls for service had steadily increased while personnel levels remained stagnant.

The chief said his takeaway from that meeting was that the City Council supports maintaining the high level of police services his department provides, and that additional staff should be brought on to make sure that happens.

"We're looking to slowly add some staffing over five years to try to meet the demands of the community," Beckner said. "We're not really making a numerical recommendation, we are just talking generally."

According to a city staff memo, calls for Boulder police service rose by 3.9 percent from 2011 to 2012 and the trend is expected to continue this year. The memo also mentions changing community expectations for police service, noting the Boulder Police Department "faces demands to manage public spaces like the municipal campus, the Boulder Creek Path and the streets of University Hill because of behaviors and lifestyle choices that may violate social norms and which negatively impact the quality of life but do not result in dangerous criminal activity."

With high demands for service, Beckner and other department leaders also want to look at refining the city's "community policing" approach as part of the master plan update. The approach means doing more than responding to calls for service, including working with community members to find long-term fixes to recurring problems.

"One of those things we want to do is revisit (the question of), 'What does community policing mean in the city of Boulder and how do we fulfill that vision?'" Beckner said.

He said the plan is to form focus groups comprised of department and community members this fall to take a deeper look at the community policing approach.

The master plan update also will establish guidelines for the department's efforts to improve environmental sustainability, increase preparedness for potential natural disasters and strengthen the department's economic vitality.

Among the many proposed strategies outlined in the staff memo is the establishment of a strategic funding plan for maintenance and replacement of department assets, including vehicles, upgrades to facilities and the provision of new technology to stay current in areas such as forensics and communication.

Becker noted that space is tight at the city's Public Safety Building on 33rd Street, and that it is important to set up a financial strategy to provide for expansion there.

Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum referenced the department's technology needs when talking about important points of the master plan update.

"We have been frankly somewhat behind the curve when it comes to technology," he said. "But it is expensive and we need to find funding for that. Those types of expenditures, which are often one-time expenditures, can free up people."

He said that following the chief's update to City Council in April, he feels there is support for hiring more officers, and city officials should begin figuring out how to pay for them and prioritize their service. He said things likely will become much clearer as the 2014 budget process gets underway later this year.

He said he is looking forward to hearing more from Beckner on his views regarding the future of the department.

"The chief is extremely well respected by council and we take these reports and his recommendations seriously," he said.

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story